The Silent Painter
by jajalang
Summary: Harry grows up under the tutelage of a master artist and his works become highly prized by the Elite Magical Houses. The Elite, especially one Lord Slytherin, become entranced by the work, spawning a hunt for the artist whose work speaks for him.
1. The News

Disclaimer: This is a complete work of fiction; any reproduction of names and places is merely coincidental. You should not make any inferences about the people or culture of the places I'm writing about as they were randomly selected and do not mimic any real life events. On that note none of the practices written about in this story should be implemented in real life, and i do not condone the practices I'm writing about at be aware that there will be abuse and m/m relationships in this story. If that bothers you, please do not read or comment.

Harry Potter may as well have been born a slave. He knew no other life than the meager existence that he'd grown accustomed to over the last 6 years at 4 Privet Drive. His Aunt and Uncle or rather Master & Mistress Dursley were always appalled by their freak servant, and Young Master Dudley, the apple of his parents' eyes, had free range in adding to The Freak's disciplinary beatings. Consequently these disciplinary beatings coincided with any bad news or grievance that befell the Dursley's.

From a very early age The Freak learnt not to speak or offer up any form of a struggle, and to never do anything "freakish". He often dreamed of flying motorcycles and a huge man, and a beautiful woman who smiled at him alone, but other than dreams his life was bleak and a horrid sort of existence. And thus the pattern of The Freak's life continued on year after year. However, on one fateful January morning Master Dursley came home early and in a joyful mood. Instantly The Freak new that something was different as Master Dursley never came home early on Thursdays.

As Vernon Dursley walked in the door he immediately yelled 'Petunia'! Quickly a middle aged woman ran down the stairs her hair in a set of curlers and clothed in a bathroom. Vernon! What are you doing home? You'll never believe it per, they've finally given me a promotion, they've made me head of Eastern sales!

At this exclamation Petunia stared at him in shock before focusing in on the most derailing part of the statement. In a high crisp voice she echoed Eastern Sales back at him. "The head of Eastern Sales", Vernon what does this mean! She was answered by odd chuckle and Vernon saying 'Why Pet it means we're moving to Nanking in the Jiangsu province of China. And that was the end of the conversation as Petunia collapsed with information overload.

Vernon let Petunia fall and bellowed for the Freak to come and put Petunia to bed. Harry struggled under the weight of his Aunt up the stairs and into the Master bedroom before slowly dragging her body up on the bed. Collapsing after completing his task Harry thought briefly about what he'd overheard. They were moving. Moving to a place Harry had only heard of once or twice from the telly that blasted while he cooked dinner.

As Vernon started up the stairs, a loud creaking moan was heard under his weight which alerted Harry to his approach. He quickly jumped to attention and darted to the washroom to wet a kerchief for his Aunt and laid it upon her head. As Master Dursley walked in he came to the side of the bed and shoved the Freak out his way with a grimace. After lightly slapping Petunia, she started to come around and immediately noticed that she was no longer in the foyer. Rather she was back in her bed and gushed at how wonderful her husband was to carry her upstairs. Taking the credit for this act Vernon and Petunia continued to iron out some of the details of his new promotion until Dudley came home.

Please Review and Let Me Know if I Should Continue -jajalang


	2. The Move

**Ch. 2 The Move**

***** Same disclaimer as before*****

Breaking the news to Dudley about the upcoming move involved many temper tantrums a broken vase and much bribing. Dudley was rarely seen around the house now as he was spending as much time as possible with his gang friends.

This was good news for Harry as he was for once not used as a punching bag or a human piñata for Dudley's pleasure. Instead, Harry was busy with a whole host of new chores and tasks.

The most interesting of which had to be the creation of his identity, school records, immunizations, and passport. Harry had never seen his Aunt's face become so soured as when she had to explain why her own son attended school and her nephew was home schooled. Beyond getting skeptical looks from the government officials everything was cleared for their upcoming trip.

Vernon had left 2 weeks ago to establish his new position and find a place to live. Apparently the best place he could find was a semi-traditional detached home near an expatriate community and an international school. Or so Harry deduced from his Uncles bellows on the other side of the phone.

One week later and Harry, Dudley, and Petunia were on a plane to China. Dudley and Petunia were in 1st class of course and Harry was a far back in the plane as they could get him.

Harry didn't mind. In fact he was grateful for the separation as he'd been working nearly nonstop to pack and clean everything in time for the movers and the flight. Once he was fastened in his seat he drifted off and it wasn't until hours later that he woke again.

Upon their arrival at the airport, the Dursley's and Harry were guided to an awaiting car where Dudley and Petunia climbed in and waited for Harry and the driver to load the baggage into the boot and on the ceiling of the car. Ultimately Harry and the driver ended up in the front seat of the vehicle, which offered Harry a clear unobstructed view of their new city.

Some 45 minutes later Harry was beginning to bring in the suitcases and could hear his Aunt's curses and loud exclamations about the state of the house from outside. The art of sliding screens was completely lost on a drowsy Dudley, who ended up tearing through one of the delicate room dividers in his hast to get to a WC. Harry thought this was very amusing until it occurred to him who would be fixing the screen.

More screeching was to be heard as Aunt Petunia entered the kitchen and found the traditional set up of Asian kitchens instead of a state-of-the-art kitchen she had been promised. Harry didn't know why she was so upset as she never cooked anyways.

The most basic supplies were unpacked, and the house cleaned by the time Vernon came home. The litany of grievances began nearly as soon as he entered the door, and Harry was glad he could escape to his new room.

Harry's new room was a tiny room off of the kitchen which was set up as a servant's quarters. This suited Harry just fine and was in fact a major upgrade from the cramped conditions in the cupboard under the stairs at #4 Privet Drive.

His new room contained an upgraded cot/bed structure, a desk, a window, and an attached bathroom. It was perfect, and seemed to be in good condition. For once Harry went to bed with a smile on his face and eager to see the sunrise view he was afforded in his new room on the morrow.

**Next time: What's happening in Wizarding England. **


	3. The Wizarding World

AN: Formatting and I are trying to get along, but I fear that it may never happens. What that means to you dear readers, is that my stories will likely have strange bolding and spacing (as seen in my last 2 attempts).

Thank you for your comments & all of you who have added me to your alerts. Some of you have mentioned how short and all over the place my writing is, this is unlikely to change much. I'm writing in between hospital tests and online school assignments. Maybe when I'm finally healthy again I'll plan out chapters and make them lengthy. Seeing as I've been sick for over 3 months I wouldn't expect those changes to happen soon. Enough of this, on to the story. =-)

**Chapter 3**

_Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth. -_Tom Barrett

**Wizarding England**

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin 1st Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, and International Confederation of Wizards was stumped. Upon entering his office after a particularly lovely breakfast in the Great Hall he noticed one of his trinkets was not acting as it usually did. One of his pendulums was spinning at an alarming rate, and he couldn't for the life in him remember what it was for and why it would be spinning so quickly.

A quick mental connection to Hogwarts' wards assured him that the castle was not under siege, and the words were not being threatened. Further analysis indicated that Peeves had flooded the 4th floor boy's bathroom, and the stairs were redirecting students so as to lead them away from the floor. Students were making their ways to 1st morning classes, and 6 students were in the infirmary still after the events of that last Quidditch game, honestly the Hufflepuffs never stood a chance against those nefarious Slytherins.

In any case a precursory glance at his faithful friend Fawkes indicated that nothing was bothering the chipper phoenix, and there were no awaiting floo calls... So what was wrong?

Popping a lemon drop in his mouth, Albus nearly chocked when a sudden wave of insight hit him. Of course, he'd set that particular whirligig to activate when

Harry Potter had been away from his home for over 4 days. Could that be right? He wondered, he hadn't heard anything from Arabella lately, perhaps it was time to drop in and say hello to the squib.

Normally Albus hated having anything to do with the woman and all her Merlin-forsaken cats, but he was in need of information quickly. Yes, he'd pop by right around tea time. It may just be a false alarm; yes Harry and his family might just be on vacation, or perhaps a muggle camp, yes there was no need to be worried. He decided he'd put off the horrid tea visit for a few more days.

Albus quickly disabled the whirling pendulum and sat back at his desk enjoying a fine cup of tea and several more lemon drops, as he quickly put the matter out of his mind.

* * *

**Wiltshire England, Malfoy Manor**

Lucius Malfoy was not happy. Scratch that, he was incensed at the buffoonery he had been forced to witness since the wake of the Dark Lords disappearance.

Lucius knew of course that the Dark Lord was somewhere; there was no way that a tiny brat of an infant could ever have permanently killed his master. He had a special diary in his library that made sure of that.

In any case Lucius' primary concern for the last 6 years had been damage control to the Malfoy name. In the wake of his sham of a trial, and his 'I was imperioused' defense, he'd been holding Charity events, offering bribes, using black mail, etc. Lucius had been in the thick of it for so long now that he had become a primary fixture at the Wizengamot and at Fudge's side.

Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, the man repulsed Lucius. To be that weak willed and prone to suggestion, it was shameful. But still, the man had his uses... as long as Lucius was the highest bidder.

With Fudge safely in his back pocket, and things relatively stable in England, Lucius was thinking of taking a vacation. Or rather an expedition to find his missing Dark Lord under the guise of a family vacation. Yes, a vacation sounded just about right, and this way Narcissa would get off his back about a lack of culture in their lives.

The plan was brilliant if he did say so himself, those pesky Aurors wouldn't suspect a thing. Their annoying observation of him and his family, since they were "prone to the Imperious curse" was getting old. Surely the Aurors wouldn't follow them on vacation, they would never be able to afford to stay at those resorts, nor could they obtain legal permission from all those countries. Political amnesty was a beautiful thing, and Fudge would never risk stirring the pot with the other magical communities.

It's a brilliant plan. Well of course it was, after all he was a Malfoy.

**Next time: What are the Dursleys and Harry up to?**


	4. Settling In

Ch. 4 Settling In

The Dursleys spent their 1st week in China going into cultural shock. Unfortunately for Harry this involved a lot of demands that were quite impossible to acquiesce to.

First, there were the demands for full English breakfast. Harry had no idea where to get the sausage nor the potatoes to make the rashers, and that... did not go over well with Dudley and Vernon, who were not amused by the change in their routines. Dudley especially threw a tantrum that ultimately resulted in Harry being pummeled by his cousin. Adding to his already impressive collection of bruised skin.

Second, came the realization that the furniture that had made the journey would not fit their new house. At least, Aunt Petunia's collectibles and precious china pieces made the trip unscathed. He unpacking and positioned and then repositioned the heavy pieces on his Aunt's whims. Ultimately, many of the pieces were packed back up and put in the shed in the back. From the mostly nonsensical ramblings of his Aunt, Harry had the impression that the pieces would be rotated in and out of use seasonally.

Third, and probably the most disastrous was the state of Dudley's belongings. The boxes for Dudley's room did not make the trip to China unscathed. As soon as Harry had opened the box that was marked with Dudley's computer, he knew there was going to be hell to pay. The monitor and tv for Dudley's room was in pieces. Specifically many sharp glass pieces. Quickly, Harry closed the box and stepped away to bring it to his Aunt's attention.

Upon seeing the state of the contents in the box she paled rapidly and instantly shot Harry a dark glare as if it were all his fault. She then began to formulate a plan to break the news to her precious Diddums and how to mediate the situation. They would have to buy an new monitor and tv for her baby immediately.

Harry went back to unpacking boxes and while he unwrapped and put things in their proper places wondered if his Aunt had noticed yet that there wasn't cable connection in Dudley's room... yet. He was sure there would be one by the end of the week.

* * *

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Three days into their move, the Dursleys received several guests who welcomed them to the neighborhood, and one woman who was so similar to his Aunt in personality and appearance that it made Harry look twice. Instead of dark curly hair, this woman, Mrs. Johnson; had dirty blond hair, critical eyes, and a sharp tongue. She was every bit as nosy and critiquing as his Aunt was, full of backhanded compliments and overly flowery words. In other words, Aunt Petunia and Mrs. Jane Johnson got along famously, and had already settled upon weekly tea meetings on Tuesdays.

Harry was sure that these "meetings" would turn into gossip exchanges quickly, and was not at all eager for them to start as the meetings would inevitably call for his participation as wait staff.

* * *

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Things were finally beginning to become routine as Petunia set off for the Special International School her Duddlykuns would attend. The school was full of international children who all spoke properly, in English, and not that garbled up nonsense that passed as a language over here. As Petunia entered the schools foyer she was directed toward the school's admissions counselor, knocking primly before being called into the office.

The meeting didn't go as Petunia expected. In her mind her baby boy was the brightest and best of his school. The reality as shown in his academic file was less than encouraging. However, Petunia didn't take much stock with the file as the comments that her wonderful Diddlums was a bully couldn't possibly be correct. The poor performance and negative behavioral comments were enough to cast suspicion on Dudley Dursley, who was now required to go through an interview and several academic tests to be completed with an official proctor. Apparently, the files on Dudley's completed course work were not enough to prove his advanced level, he would be required to prove his knowledge. It was 'standard procedure with internationals Mum', however Petunia thought it was a blatant stigma against all ex patriots as if their school systems were inferior in some way. Petunia ended up leaving the school in a huff and with a scheduled appointment for Dudley to take the tests in their home in 2 days.

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Next time: The school proctor meets Harry.


End file.
